Another update (long)

So, I started writing this post without really knowing why.  But it's been several months, so I guess if I sit down and just start writing, I'll think of interesting stuff to write.  Either that, or I'll just ramble on and on and on.  Either way, let's hope you're not too bored.

So let's see, where did I leave off last?  I actually had to open a new tab and go to my blog to see what I had written about last time...  Oh wow, the job interviews, heh.  Okay... well, none of those interviews panned out.  I was really disappointed about one of them because they seemed like a great company to work for.  I did all the work they required before the job interview, but every time I called the guy I could either 1) never get hold of him, or 2) leave him a voicemail, and then he would never call me back.  So I was really not impressed by the hiring manager's performance and decided to just leave them in the dust.  So the job search continued, and my dad had mentioned that UPS was hiring seasonal driver helpers, so I figured I might as well apply for that so I have SOMETHING while I look for another job.  So I went to the website, applied, then it was like "okay you're meeting with an HR rep tomorrow" ...  uhhh okay.  So I went the next morning like they wanted me to.  There were 2 other guys there for the same position, but we still went through the orientation/interview process.  The lady asked me if I was in school, when I replied yes, she said that can sometimes make a driver helper position difficult because I need to be available between the hours of X and Y.  So when I told her that it probably didn't seem like a good fit, she then said something along the lines of "Hm, I wonder if there's an opening for a package handler.." so she started doing some quick research and discovered that there was, in fact, an opening.  So right then and there she hired me.

So I landed a job that wasn't seasonal, and I was actually pretty happy about that.  Fast forward nearly 3 months, and the job is awful.  Well, let me clarify: the job ITSELF isn't awful, but the pay is awful (I like to use the word "insulting") and the hours are awful.  Let me tell you a little bit about what I do.  I work the night shift (roughly from 5pm-10pm with some fluctuation), and I load the semi trailers that travel all over the country.  I'm assigned primarily to the trailer that makes a trip to Denver, CO, but I also help load several of the other trailers when the need arises.  You might not need to be told, but it's highly physical; AKA not something my body is used to.  My first day was the Monday after the Thanksgiving 4-day weekend.  In other words, shipping HELL.  The lady told me that I would probably only be working 3 hours that night since I had already been paid for the 2 hours I spent that morning doing orientation, meaning that I would probably only be there from about 5-8pm.  That sounded okay to me, but that's not at all what happened.  I was there until 12:30am.  So I pulled roughly 9.5 hours on my first day, lifting boxes with only a measly 10-minute break halfway through the night.  Needless to say my body was NOT happy with me, and I spent literally the next 2 months being sore every.  single.  day.  My body seemingly couldn't recooperate.

Now, that sounds bad.  And honestly, it was hard.  But being that my body was not at all used to that kind of activity (read: punishment) meant that I started to pretty much melt away.  I've been there just barely under 3 months, and at last weigh-in I have lost 16 pounds.  My arms are also starting to look pretty sexy too ;).  Along with the physical perks of having such a physically-demanding job, there are also benefits.  Unfortunately, those only start after 1 year (full medical, dental, eye, and prescription benefits), but having those sorts of benefits for only a part-time job is pretty cool... sadly I don't have them yet.

I'm still keeping my eyes out for something better, or perhaps another part-time job I could do during the day, because like I mentioned, the pay is really really awful and I'm having trouble even paying my various payments with my meager income.... but at least it's something, and I've slimmed down quite a lot.

Okay, enough about my job.. what else.  Um, I mentioned a couple posts ago that I was dating someone.  Yes, that's still going.. we're just about to hit our 5-month mark, and things are going overall really great.  She's very supportive of my decision to continue working at my lousy(pay) job, even though it's hard on our schedules since she works during the day and I work at night.  She's also very supportive of the fact that I have no idea what I even want to study in school, and currently have basically no desire to go to school at all.

Speaking of school, I'm currently on a bit of a hiatus.  I took a leave of absence from the university citing financial reasons (which is half true and half not).  I have always paid for my own schooling out of my own pocket, and with this job that's quite simply not an option, but also it's due to the fact that I'm just burned out studying something I really don't love.  So as a result, I basically hate shool.  I suppose I probably wouldn't hate school if I were studying something I enjoyed... I just haven't figured out what that is yet.

If you're still reading this, kudos to you.  I sat down not knowing what I'd write about, and look, 8 paragraphs later I'm acknowleding that fact.  So that means you either want to know about my life and what I've been up to, or you're desperate to read something and you figure Phil's blog would be the best thing... and I'm sorry to say you've probably been let down.  :)  But I think that's pretty much it for now..  I know it was a long post.  Oh, here, I'll include a tl;dr for the faint-of-heart ("tl;dr" is an internet term that stands for "Too Long; Didn't Read" and is meant to quickly sum up the contents of a post so not much reading is required) who just want to hear the highlights.  Typically the tl;dr is emphasized at the end of a post, so I'll end in just that fashion.  Thanks for reading, and if you did, leave a comment if you would so I know that at least SOMEONE is actually reading my blog.

tl;dr -- I got a job since the last post.  It's not a great job, it's only part-time, but it's something.  Due to it, I have lost ~16 pounds in a little under 3 months.  Brittany and I are still dating and things are going great.  I'm not taking classes this semester, and will hopefully find a way to start back up soon and finish a degree.